11 August 2013

Portobello road

My favourite London hotspot has to be Portobello road. Not only am I an avid market goer, but I also enjoy the small boutique shops and the wonderful selection of cute cafes on this famous London road. I tend to come up to Notting Hill whenever I can, and I hope to own one of these adorable coloured houses when I'm all grown up!

The shop that I always make sure I visit is Jessie Western. A small shop situated at the top of Portobello road, selling western style jewellery, boots, and clothes. I could spend hours in here searching through the antique native American Indian jewellery. Its a really interesting little shop with all kinds of things hanging from the walls. I especially like the tasselled moccasins and the impressive Indian fur head dresses. I'm a real sucker for silver and turquoise jewellery, so it is rare that I leave this shop without purchasing anything!

Just a little bit further down Portobello road, you can find Kasbah Bazaar. A Moroccan shop which specialises in these beautiful bags. I'm desperate to have one to use as a weekend bag but theres too many to choose from!

There are plenty of cafes and restaurants available on Portobello road, but when you don't have the time or just fancy a quick bite, there is an abundance of street food to choose from. I went for the Seafood Paella, which is fresh and cooked in front of you.

A more touristy hotspot on Portobello road is the vintage shop One Of A Kind. The front door displays pictures of all the different celebrities that have come to visit the store. If you look closely you can spot Yoko Ono, Kings of Leon, Naomi Campbell, Victoria Beckham Winona Ryder and Kate Moss.

Inside, it is like a labyrinth with adjoining rooms and clothes hanging absolutely everywhere. A lot of the clothes are vintage designer pieces, but you can also find some fun items such as these Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth slippers!

Portobello market, which is mainly based at the bottom of Portobello road is always fun to look around. Even if you're not purchasing anything, theres always really cool vintage pieces, handmade jewellery or beautiful African clothes to gawk at.

Last but not least, I have to mention the Hummingbird Bakery, which sells my absolute favourite cupcakes. I ordered around 50 of those heavenly cakes for 16th birthday party a while back! This place always has a huge que outside, but its my own tradition that whenever I'm up here I must always buy a few to bring home.

I hope you enjoyed my guide to Portobello road, and that it has inspired you to visit this wonderful place. I would suggest to come on a Saturday where you can really feel this great energy and buzzy atmosphere.